How to Put Backspin on a Chip Shot – Get it to Check Up Like a Pro

There is something about seeing a ball check up on the green that grabs our attention.  The pros can spin the heck out of the ball, while most amateurs struggle to put the brakes on their shots.

You are here reading this post because you want to know how to put backspin on a chip shot, and I hope this post provides some tips that can help you do just that!

We will do our best to give you a better idea of how to get your approach shots to check up, so give it a read and let us know what you think at the end and leave a comment!

Before We Get Into the Tips That Can Help You Spin It Back, Let’s Talk About What Causes Backspin on a Golf Shot

Backspin happens when a ball is struck below its center of gravity.  There is an entire lesson on physics that can be given when talking about this concept, but to sum things up into as few words as possible, let’s just start there. 

You can put backspin on a ball with any club, even your driver if it is struck with an ascending blow.

As I mention, there is an entire physics lesson wrapped up in the answer, but to make it simple, you can achieve backspin by striking the ball below its center of gravity, and with a good amount of club speed.  Below, I will provide you with some other factors and tips that can help you get this shot dialed in.

Factors That Come Into Play if You Want to Get Backspin on Chip Shots:

• A good clean lie.  If you cannot make club-to-ball contact it will greatly debilitate your ability to spin it.  This could be grass, sand, dirt, or anything else that prevents the club from making clean contact with the ball.
• Ball choice.  To hit a backspin golf shot, a softer ball is needed because it allows the ball to penetrate into the grooves.  This will maximize the time the club is allowed to create spin during impact.
• The slope of the green.  If you are landing on an uphill slope it will be much easier to spin the ball as opposed to landing on a downhill slope.
• Club choice.  The more lofted the club, the more spin you can generate.  Sand wedges and pitching wedges will give you the most spin.
• Your setup.  Use an open stance, so you can open your clubface to create even more loft while pointing at your target.  You will want about 70% of your weight to be on your leading foot for this shot, with the ball lined up about in the middle of your stance.  With the ball in the middle of your stance, and your weight mostly on your front foot will help to create a steeper angle of the downswing, which can help to create more spin.
• Club speed.  You will need to have a good amount of club speed going to generate spin.  A hesitant swing will get you in trouble, so remember to bring some speed into the swing.
• Equipment. It is very helpful to have sharp grooves on your clubs to help create the spin needed to get the ball spinning and ready to check up.

Once you get these things dialed in, go ahead and play around with your swing to see what will help you generate the spin you are looking for.  Remember, just because the pros make this look easy does not mean it is. 

When you consider how good their hand-eye coordination is, along with the repetitions and hours they spend practicing shots like this it should help you to realize how difficult this really is.  Knowing how to put backspin on a chip shot is about more than the concept, it is also about practicing until you feel confident in the shot.

As usual, Golf Sizzle will search the web for you to bring you videos that we think can help you achieve your goals.  In this case, you want to spin your chips, so here is a short little video that we think can help:

There you have it, folks.  I sincerely hope that after reading this that you have a better idea of how to put backspin on a chip shot.  Practice makes perfect, so get to the range or anywhere else you can drop some balls and start working on it so you can see it in action on the course, whether it is a scramble or a round of 18 with your pals!

Thanks for reading these tips on chipping with backspin.  If you enjoyed this post, please leave me a comment below, and show some social media love by giving me a like and/or share!

Til next time, hit em straight!

Josh